Nice Guys Finish Last
by Comicker
Summary: He left without the slightest indication of where he was going or if he would return. Now, as Adler establishes the Unova Technical Institute two years later, Touko has been accepted and is ready to move on with her life. N/Touko, Touko/Touya.
1. Starting Over

**Nice Guys Finish Last**  
>By: Comicker<p>

_Chapter One:_** Turning Tables**

* * *

><p><em>Black and White are all I see,<em>

_In my infancy. _

_Red and yellow then came to be,_

_Reaching out to me._

_Lets me see._

* * *

><p><em>Congratulations!<em>

_We are pleased to inform Touko White _of _Nuvema Town on her acceptance to **Adler Smith's **Unova Technical Institute, the number one leading Pokemon education facility in the world. Here at UTI, we offer a progressive hands-on learning experience, providing promising trainers with a scholastic education in the field of their choice and an extensive trainers program. According to your application letter, you have applied for a major in PGLD (Pokemon Gym Leader License Degree) and a minor in PRE (Pokemon Rights and Equality). We are pleased to be able to offer you your requested programs. Additional information on your accommodations and material list will be provided upon your arrival to the Main Complex on September 1st. Remember to bring your Trainer Card and Pokedex for verification of identity and credentials. _

_We look forward to your arrival!_

_UTI_

* * *

><p>Seconds were smaller then people made them out to be. It was a simple and quick measurement, and in a single rotation of the earth, thousands of seconds passed by. Seconds didn't last forever, as described by star-crossed lovers, nor did people want them to last forever. On such a day however, I was absolutely sure that there had to be a flaw in the measurement of a second, because every word that left my lips felt like eons of effort.<p>

"I got accepted, Burgh, I actually got accepted."

There was a brief moment of disbelief, a wave of excitement, and then doubt. Burgh, the Gym Leader of Castelia City, leaned across the coffee shop table to snatch the letter from my hands. For the past couple of months, I had been helping him with the refurbishment of his Gym and the recruitment of his new 'obstacle trainers'. It had been two years since the defeat of Team Plasma. Adler had decided to establish a trainers school only mere months afterward, and already it was the highest ranked. I watched as Burgh read over the letter, inspecting every little detail and reading over the information. Slowly, he handed the letter back over to me.

"I knew you could do it," Burgh… what a softie. He had always been that way, though. Despite his outwardly flamboyant exterior and strong personality, he had a heart of pure gold. "It's not like I'm surprised, really… just proud." He smiled, wiping a tear off his cheek and relaxing back into his chair. "It's only natural that you would have been accepted; after all, you did defeat _me. _And all the other leaders, including Adler. I'm sure he expects great things from you."

Now, let me set the record straight. Sure, I had beaten the Elite Four and Adler, but that wasn't without extreme difficulty. When Adler offered me the title as Champion, I was thrilled. It's not like I didn't want to become the Champion… but there were other reasons. Adler knew it as well as Cheren and Bianca. Even Touya knew. My head hung lightly as I looked back to the letter. As if he could read my mind, Burgh leaned across the table to grasp my hands in his own. "Look at me, Touko. Hey, just listen." I had to force myself to look up to him then, knowing full well what he was about to say. It wasn't like I had to be reminded.

"You did something amazing. You, along with the help of your friends, brought down Team Plasma. And it was _you_ that finished it in the end..." He paused, searching for the right words - the words he knew would hurt me regardless. That damn golden heart of his. "but sometimes, darling, it's hard to let go. I know. You've been doing great work here, and I don't want to see you leave - but I think it's time for you to move on. I'm sure Cheren and Bianca will be attending, as well. Even Touya."

Despite his best attempt to mask the hidden truth behind his words, I knew what he meant.

It was time to let go.

I smiled a little, looking out towards the busy street. People were rushing past, trying to get home from the daily grind of work and back home to their families. The setting sun was dazzling in the distance. "…It's been two years since he's left, and it barely feels like yesterday." I mumbled, finally letting go of his hands adjusting myself back into my chair. "I mean… it doesn't hurt anymore. Not like it used to. I like keeping busy with you and the Gym, and I've really learned a lot."

"I know you have, I can see it." Burgh smiled, "when you came to me at first, I had never seen a more pathetic looking woman in my entire life." There was a wink hidden in there - even without looking I knew.

"…Things really have changed, haven't they?" I sighed, taking a sip of my coffee.

"They sure have, kiddo. They sure have."

I was ready to take on the challenge. I knew it would be a hellish amount of work, dedication and perseverance, but I knew I could tackle it. With my apprenticeship under Burgh, I had learned enough about the inner workings of the Gym itself to have an advantage over other students. There was no problem I couldn't face. No problem I couldn't solve.

I was done with him. No more waiting. He wasn't coming back.

_N._

* * *

><p>"YOU WHAT! OHMYGOD, GIRLY, DO YOU KNOW HOW AWESOME THIS IS!"<p>

"_Bianca, can you **please** stop screaming for two seconds? I want to talk to her."_

"Ohmyfreakinglord, this is going to be the best year of our lives! Do you realize how many cute guys are going to be there? Oooh, what program did you apply for again! I'm in Pokemon Nursing! But you already knew that, ooh, I'm just so excited~"

"_Can you just give me the XTransceiver for two goddamn seconds?" _

This was why they were my best friends. I giggled, watching as Cheren snatched the phone from Bianca. Ever since we defeated Team Plasma, Cheren had loosened up a little. He had spent the past two years studying under Adler and helping him form the trainer's academy. Although he was still as studious as ever, he also seemed like he had relaxed - if only a little. There was a small smile curling up the corners of his lips as he finally steadied the phone and looked at me. "Well, looks like we've got cause to celebrate."

Samurott was watching me from the corner of our small, one bedroom apartment. It was a little small even for me, but she refused to be inside her Pokeball most of the time. At the sound of Cheren's voice, she poked her head up and yawned.

"Hi to you too, Cheren."

"I have to admit, I knew you were accepted long before you did." He winked; if there was one thing I absolutely hated about Cheren, it was his well-kept ability to withhold crucial information. To put it bluntly, he liked to keep secrets to himself. "Adler was so excited when he got your application, we didn't think-"

I raised a brow as he paused. "…Didn't think what, Cheren?" Oh, boy. Not them too.

Cheren looked uncomfortable as he looked over his shoulder to Bianca, who immediately joined his side and looked into their XTransceiver. "Darlin', don't think ill of us, but we just didn't think you'd be coming. We knew you were working with Burgh, and everything…" She seemed a little upset herself. It wasn't like it was just me who was affected by this, after all.

"To be honest, Bianca and I talked about all our options. In the end, though…" Cheren pushed his glasses back up again. Of course they'd decided to go! I would've been furious if they hadn't. Still, I couldn't help but feel a little at fault - it was because of me that they were contemplating rejecting their offer in the first place, wasn't it?

"It's only right that we go! Once we finish this year, we'll have free reign over all the other regions! Kanto, Hoenn, Johto… and that's only the beginning. You, Cheren, Touya and I will all be able to see the world. I mean, _really _see the world." I cringed slightly. See the world?

_I want to see the world, Touko... _

"Yeah," I mumbled, forcing a smile. "It's going to be great, isn't it?"

"Speaking of Touya," Cheren grinned, looking to his watch. It was almost close to midnight, and I'd been growing sleepy. As I yawned, I heard Cheren mumbling on about something and then laughing with Bianca.

"Huuuh? Whuddya say?"

"I _said_, Touya should be there any minute. He's passing through tonight and told us he'd be stopping by to see you," Cheren smirked, giving a little wave. "See you next week. By the way, there's something you should know-"

Well, that came out of nowhere. I blinked wildly, my mouth falling open. Touya was here? In Castelia? Why wouldn't he tell me beforehand? And more importantly, why the _hell_ was he going to be showing up at my house at this _ungodly _hour?

"W-w-wait, what? Why would Touya-"

The door bell rang.

Sammy sprung up from her bed, rushing over to the door and snarling. As I looked back to the Xtransciever, Cheren and Bianca had already hung up. "Sammy, just relax. It's only Touya." I grunted, jumping up off the couch and trudging over to the door. Touya had the nastiest habit of showing up at the most inconvenient times, didn't he? Gently, I tried to usher Sammy away from the door but she insisted upon staying put. She was poised to strike, almost as if she knew that there wasn't something good on the other side of that door.

"What're you getting so worked up over…?" The doorbell rang again. I slapped both hands over my mouth, realizing that I'd probably been a bit too loud. I peered into the peep-hole that lead out into the hallway, but saw nothing but darkness. Okay, now that was a bit freaky. Stepping back from the door, my fingers gingerly touched the silver knob until I mustered up the courage to finally say something.

"Hello? Who is it?"

Silence.

Then it rang again.

Okay, now this was pissing me off. My brows knitted together as I grabbed the knob and swung the door open, ready to send out Sammy to take out whoever was deciding to mess with me this late at night. "I don't know who the hell you are, but you should-"

It was then I realized that the peep-hole had to have been covered by someone's finger. The hallway was lit brightly, as always, and there was no sign of anybody. I felt my breathing snag in my throat as Sammy leaped out into the hallway, looking around frantically for the force that made her feel so uneasy. I stepped out into the hallway, half-expecting a serial killer to barrel out from a room down the hall and towards me.

But there was nothing. Nothing was there.

I stood frozen in the doorway as Sammy sniffed around the area, trying to locate some sort of scent or sign that someone had been here. There was a very faint smell in the air, and although it could have came from any of the other apartments in the hall, I had a sinking feeling that it had come from my surprise visitor. "Peppermint," I mumbled, slumping against the frame of the door and swallowing the fear that threatened to rise. Sammy looked up to me, her eyes hardened and filled with determination. She would have done anything to protect me and the other Pokemon, no matter what the cost. But what the hell was that?

"Hey, Touko!" The sudden voice, in all the adrenaline, made me scream. Sammy immediately turned around and charged down the hall, ready at any moment to unleash her Razor Shell on whoever had spoke.

"H-HEY! SAMMY! IT'S ME,** S-STOP**!" Touya squeaked, jumping out of the way of her attack. After clumsily regaining my composure, I ran from the door towards the two of them. "Sammy! Stop!" She was already on the attack, so there was no point shouting at her. I practically tripped over my two feet as I reached them, immediately grabbing at her back and trying to pull her away. "That's _**enough**,_ Sammy!"

Samurott's had a nasty habit of being incredibly protective over their companions, so it took a little while to cool her off. Touya had released Kieth, his Zebstrika, who had no freaking idea what was going on. Touya himself looked absolutely frazzled by the sudden attack and was about to unleash a _wealth_ of carefully chosen words.

"**WHAT THE BLOODY HELL** WAS THAT ALL ABOUT! ARE YOU _MAD?" _He screamed, oblivious to the fact that there were other rooms on this floor as well. I had finally managed to pull back Sammy when he started his rant, but in all honesty I couldn't blame him. He loved Sammy, and Sammy loved him just as much. It wasn't much of a welcome.

"Relax, just chill!" Yep, there was no avoiding it; Touya was a bit of a drama queen. "Were you ringing my bell earlier? Is that your idea of some sort of weird, creepy joke?"

Touya finally let himself relax a little as he returned Kieth to his Pokeball. With Sammy still grunting and snarling, he still didn't feel quite at ease yet. "What are you talking about," he sighed, taking off his hat and running a hand through his hair. "I just got here. I literally _just got here._"

I raised a brow. "No joke?"

"_Touko,_" He groaned, putting his hat back on and pointed down the opposite end of the hall that curved to the left. "I just got back from the Pokemon Centre. Kieth and Arlen had a run-in with a tough couple of trainers in the square, so I took them to get healed before I came here." He walked up to Sammy, offering her his hand and his assurance. "Why? What was going on - and why did _you_ attack me, missy?" Touya bent down in front of Sammy, patting her cheek gently until she started to relax.

"Someone was ringing the doorbell, maybe just some kids playing a prank." I lied, knowing full well that no kid could reach up that high to cover the hole. "We just got a little paranoid, this is usually a really safe building. Burgh is just a few floors down."

Touya looked concerned. "So, you don't know who it was…?"

I shrugged, stretching out my shoulders and letting out a small yawn. "Nah, but whatever." I looked back to Touya, who was looking down at his shoes. His brow was knitted tightly together as he bit his lip, almost like he was in pain. "Hey, Touya… you okay? Want to come inside?"

Like he had forgotten I was there at all, he snapped his head up and nodded quickly. "Y-yeah! Of course. Let's go in, I've got plenty to tell you. So much has changed." He smiled, making his way first into my apartment. I watched his back, my hand resting gently on Sammy's head as I did so.

What did he know?

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note:<strong>

Hello, everyone! Thank you for taking the time to read through this first chapter, and hopefully you liked it~! I know it seems a little rushed right now, but I just want to get everything falling into place. I'm not sure if this is a terribly original concept or not, but I wanted to try something out of my comfort zone. o Ao ;; We'll see where it goes!


	2. Re Appear!

**Nice Guys Finish Last**

**By: Comicker**

ToukoxN / ToukoxTouya

_Chapter Two_  
>"Re-Appear"<p>

_Sometimes I wake up by the door,_

_That heart you caught must be waiting for you._

_Even now when we're already over…_

_I can't help myself from looking for you._

* * *

><p>Before I knew it, a week flew by (with no shortage of surprises.) After his arrival to my already crammed little apartment, Touya <em>announced <em>that he would be staying with me until we headed off for school. To my complete and utter surprise, it actually went off without a hitch. It was a bit curious; Touya had always been one for causing trouble. His mother and father were dignified and well respected Pokemon Researchers, but when they had been called to Kanto on emergency business, they decided to let Touya stay in Nuvema. Mom was a close friend of his mothers, so when he had nowhere to stay, it was only natural that she offered to have him live at our house. Cheren's parents offered too, but in the end it was up to Touya. He didn't want to live with any of us, at first. He was upset that none of us tried to even stop his parents, or tell them to bring him along. He had tried and tired, but they never listened. We kept pushing for him to stay with us, so they probably thought that was best.

I think he's always resented us a little for that.

Still, after we set out on our journey he got all his old spunk back. Touya absolutely loved adventure and the challenges that came along with it. I can still remember the fire in his eyes when we all took our first step on Route 1. He had a determination that even I couldn't beat. The determination to become the very best.

"Hurry up, slowbro! We're gonna be late." Touya ran ahead of me down the road, his Cinccino nicknamed Arlen trotting alongside him. We were going to meet Cheren and Bianca at the entrance to Castelia and fly to the Institute. Much like the first step of our journey, we wanted to take this one together as well. Touya finally noticed that I wouldn't be speeding up anytime soon, so he fell behind a little and pulled out his information package. "According to this letter, UTI is in the Moor of Icirrus. Wow, I can't believe they built a school there…" he trailed off, glancing over to me. "What do you think?"

"I'm just glad it's not at the Pokemon League." I sighed, relieved that I wouldn't have to go near there. Too many bad memories. The Moor of Icirrus was a peaceful place; when I had first visited, I fell in love with the absolute tranquility of it all. It seemed like a great place to put a school full of promising trainers. Besides, Adler would keep the habitat as clean as healthy as it had been when he first arrived. He wasn't a destructive force, he never had been.

"Touko, my baby, please wait~!" I heard a familiar cry from behind me, and barely had enough time to spin around before being engulfed in a bone-crushing hug. "How could you set off without saying goodbye to me!" I twitched, trying to breathe under Burgh's grip. "I s-said goodbye last night-!" Gasping for air, I finally pulled away from him. His eyes were full of tears as he grasped my hands in his own. Although I knew all too well that Burgh was a little over the top when it came to emotions, I couldn't help but feel my own heart sink at the sight of him so upset.

"Do your best." He breathed, pulling me into a much gentler hug. I smiled, wrapping my arms around him and nuzzling into his scarf. He was there for me when I was at my worst, and for that I couldn't ever thank him enough. "And don't you dare come back and try to take my gym from me." I laughed, pulling away from him and punching him lightly in the shoulder.

"What? You scared of being beat out of your title?"

"Touko, my dear, I would only ever surrender it to you." He bowed, and although he was mocking me, I knew those words must be true. "Oh, take this." Burgh reached around his neck and pulled off his red scarf, and at first I thought he was absolutely mad. He loved that scarf more than anything! Still, he wrapped it around my neck and kissed the end before letting it slip from his fingers. "It'll keep you safe."

I could feel tears swelling up in my own eyes now as I touched the soft satin, not sure how to thank him for such a gift. Burgh just smiled and patted my head, then looked over to Touya. "You keep an eye on her for me, okay?"

"Y-Yes! Of course!" Touya stammered, sounding a bit uneasy.

"We all will." The voice startled me. I turned around to see Cheren and Bianca making their way towards us, well, Bianca was more or less charging towards me while Cheren kept a safe distance behind. I barely had time to brace myself as she tackled me, squeezing me much harder than Burgh did. What the hell was up with all the hugs today! "Oh, Touko! I missed you _so _much, girly."

A warm smile found its way across my face as I hugged her and then Cheren. They looked so much older. Cheren had cut his hair back and smoothed it out, making him look like a real professional. I didn't expect anything less from him; he would be running most of the school with Adler. Bianca, on the other hand, had grown her hair out to her shoulders. It made her look much more mature, although I knew she'd never quite _act _like it.

"Well, are we ready to go?" Cheren asked, looking to Touya who had now joined us. I adjusted my bag on my shoulders and looked down at my Pokeballs. "I think I'll take my Unfezant with Bianca. Do you want to go with Touko on your Archeops?"

"Mm, yeah. Sounds good." As they were speaking, I pulled out a Pokeball of my own. I could feel my brow furrow as I held it gently in my hand. Bianca seemed to notice my face and turned to me, her own expression turning to that of concern. "Touko? What's wrong?" I broke out of my trans, looking up to the three of them.

"I'd like to take Zekrom." I mumbled.

At first, there was silence. It lasted quite a while; nobody seemed to know what to do or say. Then, as always, Cheren interrupted with a quick throaty cough. I looked to Touya, pleading with my eyes for him to say something… _anything._ He didn't seem to notice. His own face was twisted with… what was it? Anger? Disappointment? He just stared down at his feet, saying nothing. So much for best friends.

"I think… I think it's better that we don't." Cheren finally spoke, his voice wavering. "It is a trainer's academy, after all. How do you think they'll feel if we arrive on the back of a legendary Pokemon? We want everyone to feel equal, right…" His voice trailed off as he fumbled with his glasses. I didn't understand. What was so terrible about riding Zekrom? I would be using him in battles there, anyways. Why couldn't I take pride in my own Pokemon?

"Cheren, I'm not going to _hide _Zekrom from everyone because you think it'll intimidate them. Zekrom is my Pokemon and I love him, like all the others. I'm not going to deny him the right to battle and train." Without waiting for Cheren's reply, I released him from his Pokeball into the clearing beside us. The sky seemed to rumble as he formed before us, and both Cheren and Bianca seemed to look up in awe. Zekrom let out a bellowing roar which shook the ground beneath us, but only for a moment or two. As he relaxed himself in his new environment, he bent his head down beside me.

_I thought you had forgotten about me. _Zekrom spoke to me through our minds, a connection that only we shared. I smiled, reaching up to touch his face. _It has been quite a while since I've seen the light of day._

"Well, you like the night a lot better, don't you?"

_Indeed. The daylight reminds me that I should be sleeping. You have adjusted my sleep-schedule rather accordingly, haven't you?_

I laughed. Despite being a Pokemon, Zekrom did have quite a quick tongue. I looked to Cheren, Bianca and Touya who seemed to be a bit uneasy. They had only really seen Zekrom once before, and he was probably still intimidating to those who couldn't connect with him. "Zekrom, these are my companions. We'll be travelling to the Moor of Icirrus to attend a training academy… would you take us there?"

"But hold on a second, Touko-"

Zekrom rose his head and stood tall for a moment before leaning back and pulling out his wings. They were a magnificent black against the blue sky; even passers-by stopped to watch in awe. I felt a surge of pride rushing through me as he beat them once, trying to get a feel for using them after so long. Even this had Touya looking up this time, watching as Zekrom let out another mighty roar.

"Holy crap…" Bianca mumbled, holding both her hands nervously against her chest. "Look at it!"

_My name is Zekrom, and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. _Although they couldn't hear him, he bowed his head in respect towards the three of them. Cheren, immediately recognizing the meaning, bowed down as well. Even though he couldn't speak to his Pokemon, he knew full well their symbolisms and gestures. Noticing Cheren's actions against Zekrom, both Touya and Bianca bowed - although a bit more shakily.

"Alright then, I guess that's that!" I clapped my hands together and walked up to Zekrom as he lowered his back. "Everybody climb aboard the Zekrom Express; next stop, the Moor of Icirrus!" At first, nobody moved. Whether they were in shock or just nervous, I couldn't tell. As I climbed up onto his back, finally, they began to walk towards him. "Don't be scared," I smiled, patting the scales on his back. "Zekrom wouldn't hurt a fly."

_Unless you told me to. _

* * *

><p><em>So, let me get this straight… you are going to be training to become a Gym Leader? What happened to Burgh? <em>We were flying through the air at a slow but steady pace. I took the front of Zekrom while Cheren, Bianca and Touya all squished together along the back. It had been so long since I rode him up in the air like this; the views over Unova were exhilarating. I smiled as the peaks of mountains appeared dotted along in the distance.

"Burgh will do just fine without me. Besides, the renovations in his Gym are already coming together nicely. He'll be able to manage things for now." I took in a deep breath, enjoying the brisk air. It really did feel like a new beginning. With my friends at my side, I felt like I could conquer anything. Zekrom seemed to sense my determination and seemed to chuckle.

_Has there been any word of my brother? _And just like that, the good-hearted feeling had vanished. Instead, my shoulders slumped a little, and my fingers traced an outline of one of his scales. Noticing this, too, he seemed to drop the subject without any further inquiry.

Zekrom knew as well as I did what happened that day. And despite my best efforts, I couldn't seem to shake it off my mind. N had been the King of Team Plasma, the organization that we finally managed to bring down. He fought for Pokemon liberation and freedom, without really knowing who he was fighting alongside. His childish innocence and vulnerability made him the perfect candidate for Ghestis, along with the other sages, to manipulate into believing he served a greater purpose. All he wanted was to free Pokemon from abusive trainers - he had no idea love and friendship existed among trainers and Pokemon. By the end of it all, he was able to realize this. I had been the hero, not him. Just as much as I came to hate Team Plasma and their motives, I also came to respect and understand N as a person. No matter where I went, he seemed to always be one step ahead of me. We had formed a rather unlikely friendship by the end of it all.

My feelings for him had grown, and to see him leave…

_We have almost arrived. _Zekrom spoke through the silence, and I looked down to see where we were. There was the Moor, just ahead a little in the distance. To our surprise, other trainers on their flying Pokemon began appearing. Some of them were from our region, but I couldn't recognize most of them. There was a large, orange dragon and many larger birds - there were even birds that resembled dinosaurs.

"That's a Dragonite," Cheren commented, pointing at the orange dragon. "Those are Pigeottos, Pigeots and Staraptors, and there's even a Aerodactyl and Tropius… these are from all different kinds of regions." He trailed off in awe, watching as trainers flew past and stared at us just the same way.

_They feel uneasy. I must be quite intimidating._

I laughed aloud, patting Zekrom's head. "Yes, yes you are."

He swooped into a clearing down below where many other trainers were landing. They looked up to see Zekrom coming in and ushered their Pokemon away to give him more space. As gentle as always, Zekrom came to a smooth stop and pulled in his wings. As we landed, many trainers came rushing up to us - much unlike Cheren's prediction - and stared wide-eyed at Zekrom. Many pointed their Pokedex's at him, trying to get an accurate reading on what exactly he was.

Touya slid off first and looked around. He hadn't been expecting to see this many trainers here. Without any hesitation, he released Kieth and Arlen to mingle with the other Pokemon. Bianca, Cheren and I all helped each other off Zekrom's back and wasted no time in releasing our own Pokemon as well. They deserved to be apart of this just as much as we did.

"Sammy, Watson, Finn, Leigh, Eragon!" My Samurott, Stoutland, Krookodile, Mienshao and Druddgion all emerged from their Poke Balls. Sammy and Watson had been with me since Route 1, and although members of our team had come and gone over the years, this was it. These were my Pokemon, and I loved them each the same. Eragon, my Druddgion, was the most energetic of the bunch - so upon seeing the wealth of trainers and their Pokemon all gathered in the clearing, he roared with excitement.

"Looks like we found them." Two trainers walked up to our group, looking up at Zekrom and then over to the rest of my team. The taller of the two, a teen with spiky brown hair, offered his hand to me almost immediately. "You must be Touko." I blinked. How would he know that? Cheren walked up to my side, and almost protectively, offered out his hand first. "And how would we know you?"

The boy seemed a little off-put. His companion, a shorter male with dark black hair and bright brown eyes, was knelt down beside Watson and petting his back. He looked up at the scene and stood to his own feet, taking Cheren's hand in his own.

"I'm Red, and this is Blue Oak." He beamed, letting go of Cheren's hand. "We're from Kanto. Pallet Town, to be exact. Blue here is the Grandson of Professor Oak. We've heard quite a bit about Unova through him, and obviously all about that guy." The boy named Red pointed a thumb at Zekrom, who was now resting in the grass. Cheren seemed to straighten his posture immediately, and actually **bowed** toward the both of them. These guys must've been something to be reckoned with if Cheren was greeting them formally.

"I'm sorry, it just seemed a little strange…"

"Yeah, I guess so. I assume a lot of people don't walk up knowing your name," Blue turned to me and offered his hand again. "But then again, I hear you're a pretty fierce opponent."

I smirked and took his hand, shaking it with a hard nod. "You bet I am. Looking for a challenge?"

"Of course." Blue looked pleased, as did Red. Despite their appearance, they were definitely tough trainers. I could feel it. They had been at this much longer than we had, that was for sure…

"Red here is the Champion of Kanto, only by luck though." Blue smirked as Red twitched, turning to his companion and punching him in the arm. "Hey, not even! I've beaten you plenty of times, and I'll do it again and again. This academy will only prove it." I giggled a little, refreshed by the fact that not everyone here would be reserved to people within their own region. Already we had me the Champion of Kanto and the runner-up! It was exciting to see how many more would arrive. As I lost myself in thought and our two new friends talked with Cheren and Bianca, Touya walked up beside me and nudged my arm.

"Pretty eventful, huh?" He mumbled, crossing his arms along his chest and looking out on the clearing as more and more people arrived. "Something tells me this is going to be pretty interesting."

"Yeah," As I was about to finish my sentence, Cheren began to speak up.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" He pulled a megaphone out of his backpack; typical, he was always planning ahead. He must have co-ordinated this with Adler; no wonder the Champion nor the academy was anywhere to be found. A quick '_shhhh_' fell over the crowd as Cheren stood atop a raised stump. "The academy is only a few short minutes away behind the forest. If I can get everyone and their Pokemon to follow me and my Unfezant down the designated path, I will lead you there! Thank you for your co-operation." He adjusted his glasses and quickly turned off the megaphone, shoving it back into his bag and jumping on Unfezant's back.

"We better get going," I mumbled, pulling out Zekrom's Pokeball. "Sorry, Zekrom. You're a little too big right now with all these other trainers around." I didn't want to return him, it had been so long since I'd been with him. He was my connection to the past; he reminded me that it was real.

_It's okay. You go. _Zekrom nodded its head as I readied the Pokeball.

"Alright, I'll bring you out soon-"

Out of nowhere, he stood to his feet. With his neck lurched out as far as it would go, he sniffed at the air and snarled. The group following Cheren stopped and turned to Zekrom, With all of his power, he let out a bellowing roar that echoed throughout the Moor. Many trainers covered their ears and the ears of their Pokemon, with general confusion sweeping over the crowd.

"ZEKROM!" I cried out, rushing towards his side and grabbing at his leg. "What's wrong! **Hey**!"

He roared again. The ground shook violently around our feet as his brute force began to crack through the earth. In the distance, the same roar echoed through the sky. My team rushed up to my side and Sammy grabbed at my arm, trying to pull me away. I stood grounded beside Zekrom, my eyes hardened and focused towards the sky where he looked. He screeched this time, stomping his other foot down hard on the ground.

"TOUKO! _MOVE OUT OF THE WAY_!" Touya screamed as he and Bianca came running at me, but the energy force Zekrom had created with his rage kept them away. Touya groaned as he and Bianca were flung to the ground, and in my confusion I stood motionless. There was something up there. There was…

"Out of the way!" Red cried, flying up past the barrier and into the sky on the back of his Charizard with Blue in tow on his Dragonite. I watched helpless as Red and Blue flew around Zekrom and finally came to a hault in the sky beside his head. They were charging their attacks towards the unknown force; I could see Charizard building flame in it's jaws, the Dragonite powering up its Hyper Beam…

And then I saw it.

White.

Zekrom roared, and I cried out at the top of my lungs.

"DON'T ATTACK! DON'T ATTACK!" I screamed up towards Blue and Red, but they couldn't hear me. "**Eragon**! Let's fly!" I dashed to him quickly and jumped on his back, and within mere moments we were soaring up quickly into the sky. We pushed ourselves into the path of their combined blasts, and Eragon braced himself as I held on. I saw Red cry out although I couldn't hear him, the only sound was Zekrom's ear-splitting roars. Then, together, Charizard and Dragonite fired off their attacks.

Directly towards us.

"ERAGON, FLASH CANNON! NOW! Angle that attack _away_!" I yelled, closing my eyes and holding tight to him. I could hear the blasts racing through the air at an incredible speed, but Eragon was faster. His Flash Cannon charged quicker than both of their attacks, and he fired it off within seconds. In the air between us, the three attacks collided. I felt like I was going to fly off his back, the absolute force of the attacks sent a powerful aftershock through the air. My fingers were digging into my own arms as I struggled to hang on and Eragon pushed harder. As fast as it started, it was over. Eragon gave one final push and blew their attacks up over their heads and off into the distance. Zekrom had stopped his roaring, instead, he simply looked up into the sky towards me.

"J…Jesus…" Red breathed, his eyes widening as he looked up into the sky. "What the…"

My eyes were still squeezed shut as it finished. Slowly, I opened them one by one and looked at the scene below me. Every single one of them were staring up into the sky towards me.

Towards _me?_

Oh, no, it was just the creature that was casting that billowing shadow behind me that they were staring at.

"Touko."

My breathing stopped.

With what felt like my heart in my throat, I turned around.

As white as a cloud in the sky, Reshiram floated just above us. A few feathers fluttered by me in the breeze as I looked beyond the legendary beast, the brother to my own, to the boy- no, the man, atop him.

His smile was as big and as bright as the day he left. Bright, green hair blew wildly with the wind behind him.

"_Hey_." N breathed, "I'm back."

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Blurbity-Blurb:<strong>

[/dies] Long chapter was long. _ ;; Don't kill me, please! 8D Thank you to all my lovely reviewers and +favers so far, I really appreciate that you liked the first chapter! Hopefully you like this one just as much. Don't worry, in the next chapter we'll actually be getting into the academy... Thanks for your feedback and I hope you enjoyed this chapter~!


	3. What An Entrance

**Nice Guys Finish Last  
><strong>By: Comicker**  
><strong>

_Chapter Three:_ What An Entrance!

* * *

><p>Bring me out,<br>come and find me in the dark now,  
>everyday by myself;<br>I'm breaking down.

* * *

><p><em>I'm back.<em>

I didn't know that two little words could mean so much. Not that they meant much themselves, but it was what they _implied_ that was important. I was frozen on top of Eragon, staring up into the face that I had once feared and loved. He looked older now; his hair was still the same length, but he just looked _older._ His shoulders had broadened even more and there was an impeccable definition to his jaw line. The eyes that were once gentle and innocent seemed to be hardened with time and experience, but I could still see that playful young spirited N hiding beneath it all. I could always read him, just as well as he could read me.

"Well?" He smiled, lowering Reshiram down to the level Eragon and I were flying at. I was oblivious to everything else around me. It seemed like a dream. "What do you think?"

N was expecting me to jump into his arms - I could see it in his eyes. His hands twitched almost involuntarily at his sides, as if he would raise them the moment I flung myself from Eragon. But I didn't. I just sat there, staring at him. When he left, I accepted the fact that he wanted to see the world. I understood his dream and knew that there was no way he could stay. He needed to discover himself and see the world.

But now?

How did I feel…?

"I… I uh…" He stumbled over his words, frowning a little as he looked off to the side and scratched his head. Did he want to apologize? "Listen, Touko, I…"

It all happened so quickly. Just as N had opened his mouth to continue, there was a slashing sound and a rush of wind. I practically fell over on Eragon as I watched an Archeops; no, not just any Archeops, fly up and over Reshiram. Touya jumped off of the Archeops I knew now to be his Alistar and onto the back of Reshiram. As he landed, he rushed over to N and grabbed him by the collar.

And then he punched him.

My mouth fell open as, in his rage, Touya screamed and swore at N _while_ he shook him repeatedly. Eragon turned around quickly and flew over to Reshiram as I jumped on as well, trying to get a grip on this already ridiculously dramatic situation. We were sure making an impression on all the other trainers.

"YOU WERE OUR _**FRIEND**_, WE COUNTED ON YOU-"

"**TOUYA, STOP IT!" **I screamed, trying to break them apart. He didn't have to hurt him. Why wouldn't he stop? This wasn't like Touya at all…

"-_SHE_ COUNTED ON YOU, NOT A WORD FROM YOU ONCE-"

"**Jesus! TOUYA, STOP!"**

Touya halted. Through his heavy breathing and snarls, I waited to hear N's little whimpers. On multiple occasions, Touya had confronted N like this. When he found out he was the King of Team Plasma, I don't know who was more hurt; me or Touya. He had formed an unlikely friendship with the even more unlikely king, and through that they had been connected. Still, N made no noise. This surprised both Touya and myself. He just stood there, his hat and bangs covering the most of his eyes and not making a sound. It was almost as if he was taking the punishment like he felt he deserved it.

Why?

"J-Just land Reshiram and end this nonsense, both of you." I finally blurted out, my cheeks flushing from all the curious faces that peered up at us from down below. At the sound of my voice, Reshiram seemed to grasp what I was saying and began lowering himself. I knew that Zekrom and I shared a connection, but…

"Good. He understands you still." N mumbled, wiping the blood from his cut lip off his cheek and looking over to me. I didn't know what to say or do; we had already made quite the spectacle. On every other occasion I would have plenty to say… I had planned out this moment in my head for months. I wasn't even really sure it would ever happen. Still, as we landed, N held my gaze steadily and said nothing.

Touya let go of his hold on N's collar and grunted. He shifted towards me and closed his eyes, as if he wasn't even acknowledging N as he spoke to him. "Do you think you can just waltz back into our lives like nothing has changed? Well, you've got another thing coming then. You gave us up for your little quest and didn't even bother to say hi. Don't you think you've done enough damage here already?" He jumped off Reshiram's back and returned his Archeops, ignoring the concerned cries of Bianca as he shoved the Pokeball onto his belt.

"You're making a scene like always, N." Touya shouted, his back towards us as we still stood on Reshiram. "This is a school for trainers who want to become professionals; not for theatrics."

"I think that's plenty enough." A strong voice boomed, and up ahead the crowd of trainers parted. He had both Cheren and another young man following behind him. "And I thought my entrance was well-planned. You're all pretty dramatic, don't you think?" He raised a brow to Touya, who simply seemed to shrink away. Touya could stand up to a lot of people, but obviously the Champion of Unova was not one of them. Adler came to a stop beside Reshiram and looked up to N and I with a chuckle.

"Well, well. I didn't think you'd received your invitation, N."

Both Touya and I blinked. Invitation?

N turned to me and offered me his hand. "Come on, let's get down. You can return Zekrom, too." His voice was soft as he forced a smile. Obviously, this wasn't how he'd envisioned his return. My pride got in the way as I ignored his hand and jumped down myself, landing on all fours until I straightened myself up. N wasted no time in jumping down as well and returning Reshiram, until he finally turned his attention to Adler.

"My apologies for the suspense, sir. I didn't quite plan on coming this late, but something came up."

I felt my heart sink a little. It had been my fault. Nothing would've happened if I didn't bring out Zekrom; Cheren had been right for all the wrong reasons. I could feel him staring daggers into me from the corner of my eye, but I chose to ignore and speak up myself. "Adler, I'm sorry. If it wasn't for Zekrom…" N turned to look at me and bit his lip, his eyes glazing over with tears.

I take it back. He hadn't changed at all.

"It wasn't Zekrom's fault, it was mine." He mumbled, swallowing down the lump that threatened to ruin his composure.

"Well that's just great, so nobody is to blame. Can we please get on with the opening ceremonies and leave these guys to sort out their own problems?" The other young man who had followed Adler out finally spoke up, giving us both a rather nasty look in the process. "Yes yes, Silver. We'll begin." Adler turned to the mass of trainers, sighing to himself a little before putting his hands on his hips.

"Welcome, all of you!" His booming voice echoed all throughout the Moor, and everybody fell silent. "My name is Adler Smith, and I am the Founder and Head of Operations here at UTI. I'd like to take a moment to thank you all for travelling here to Unova. Now, if you'll follow the path down the road there you'll be taken right to the front of the institute. Once your there, the attendants at the front gates will direct you to your assigned dormitory and give you your class schedules, but only after you present them with your trainer cards. After you are all settled in, we'll meet in the Grand Hall for the official welcome ceremony and a low-down on the upcoming events!" The crowd cheered as Adler finished up and quickly made their way down the path as told. Cheren took one last look at me before turning to go off with Adler and Silver.

That left me, Touya and N.

"C-Come, Zekrom." I mumbled, walking up to him and nervously pulling out his Pokeball.

_I'm so sorry, Touko. _He lowered his head, his voice a faint echo in the back of my mind. _I… I didn't mean to get so upset. I just thought they had come to harm, or to harass… I didn't know… _I reached up and touched his nose with this tips of my fingers, stroking him lightly. "It's okay, it's your instinct… isn't it?"

N watched me from behind as I spoke softly to Zekrom. His face was twisted in this weird, half smile as his eyes then flickered over to Touya. "Touya… please…" He mumbled, receiving nothing but the silent treatment from his "ex" friend. After I returned Zekrom, I turned around just in time to see their stare-off.

"Please listen to me." N stood up straight and puffed his chest out a little, much like a Pokemon does when they're trying to prove their worth. "You have to let me explain, you must want to know-"

"No." Touya mumbled, turning around and tipping his hat down. "I don't care." And with that, he walked off down the path and towards the school. I felt so helpless; wasn't I upset with N as well? As if he read my mind, N turned to me and his eyes softened a little. "Will you… listen to me? Please, Touko."

I was in a real dilemma. What should I do? I had waited and waited for N, but my feelings weren't the same anymore. It was if the distance cut us apart. I didn't like it. Awkwardly, I shook my head and avoided his stare. "Not right now, N. Let's just go."

He let out a broken cry. Immediately, I looked up to see him wiping at his eyes. I felt my own heart fall to the floor as I watched him; hadn't his journey changed him? Why was he crying? Shouldn't he be proud of what he accomplished? My mouth hung open, as if I was about to ask all these ridiculous things, but still I said nothing. _Nothing._ Why couldn't I speak to him? The silence between us weighed heavier and heavier as seconds turned into minutes.

"I'm sorry."

"N…"

"I'm _sorry._"

* * *

><p>I had gone through the first grueling hour of getting my trainer ID certified and my class schedules sorted out, all the while trying not to think about anything that had happened that morning. That was easier said than done. Both N and Touya were nowhere to be found, sure, but the looks I was getting were even a heavier reminder of my little dramatic entrance. So, as quickly as I could, I lugged my stuff through the main part of the campus and towards the dormitories. It was beautiful, Adler had made a huge effort in making this place absolutely beautiful. It was modeled to look like quite an old institute; stone and marble slabs made up most of the buildings, while the walkways were made of cobblestone. It really felt like an older place, but brand new all at the same time. As I walked along through the winding pathways, I felt instantly at home. The Moor was quite beautiful.<p>

Finally, I made it up to my residence. Building B, Floor 2. It took a bit of looking around until I found my suite; apparently I would be living with three other girls. Not really thinking too much into it, I opened the door and tried to push my shoulder-bag in first. I heard a thud on the other side, along with a slur of curses. Great, I had made an even better impression.

"I'm sorry!" I yelped, pulling my bag back out and wincing at the swearing. It took a few minutes for it to die down until the person on the other side finally opened the door. She had brown hair that curled out on either side of her face and a bright green hat, oh - and she looked like she wanted to kill me. Without that hideous scowl on her face, I would've said she was quite pretty. She opened the door and, despite being cheesed off with me, offered me her hand.

"I'm Sapphire. You can call me Saph." I hesitated, a little surprised at her courteousness until I finally shook her hand.

"I'm so sorry about the door thing… uh, I'm Touko."

"Oh, we all know who you are. We saw that lovely display this morning." She shrugged it off and waltzed back into the dorm, still holding her head. Dragging my stuff in behind her, I couldn't help but ogle at the beautiful set up. There was a brand new kitchen and dinette to my right, a full bathroom to my left, and a huge living space with a television in front of me. There were two halls that went down to the left and the right, leading to two rooms on either side.

"This is incredible." I breathed, looking over to the large window in the living space. "Adler really didn't cut any corners, did he?"

"Pretty nice, huh?" A bright blond haired figured quite literally bounced up off one of the couches and ran towards me. "Do you need help with your bags? Saph didn't even offer, did she? What a prude she is!"

"I've only known you for ten freaking minutes, and you're already calling me names?" Sapphire yelled from across the room, having already sat down and continued watching television. "This is going to be one hell of a year, let me tell you…"

The yellow-haired girl took my bags from my hand and lifted them quite easily, which came as quite a shock considering she was _so-freaking-tiny._ "W-what's your name?" I dared to ask.

"I'm Yellow from Pallet Town! I don't know if you've met Red or Blue yet, I think you did - I mean I saw this morning, I'm not a creepy stalker or anything. But, yeah, they're like my best friends. They're really special. I came here with them and my friend Green." With that, she ran off down the right hall to one of the rooms to dump my stuff. "And I'm Platinum Berlitz." Another girl with long, blue hair emerged from the room beside mine and waved. She seemed a lot more reserved and calm, well, from a first glance. With a meagre smile, I waved back and introduced myself to her as well.

"You better get your stuff unpacked, we've got to head down to the ceremonies. We've got about fifteen minutes." Platinum checked her watch then turned back into her room. "I've got to get dressed properly! I feel so filthy after walking down that trail…"

It looked like I had three clashing personalities to deal with.

Oh, joy.

* * *

><p>"On behalf of Adler, I'd like to say <em><strong>welcome."<strong>_

There was a large podium set up in the middle of the main square, and it seemed like almost everyone was gathered around nice and tight. I struggled to make room as Professor Oak, an educated Professor from Pallet Town, made his speech. I had come down with my three new _best friends,_ and yet I was searching desperately for any sign of Touya or Bianca or Cheren or…

"Hi."

I turned around as quickly as I could, which was actually quite slow in this crowd, only to see N standing behind me. His grin was ear-to-ear as he looked down at me. Typical. "I'm in a room with Touya. Can you believe it? He'll come around now, for sure." It seemed like N had completely disregarded his previous inclinations of despair that lingered this morning and decided to go for more of a childish approach.

"I'm trying to listen."

"…_and I told Adler that he was crazy for thinking this might work…"_

"I had an amazing journey." He breathed, pushing his way up beside me and crossing his arms along his chest. "I saw so many regions and met so many people, some of them are here today." I felt my heart sink as he spoke, and I couldn't quite figure out why. I thought I'd pushed my feelings for N away long ago, I thought this was a fresh start… I thought…

"Why did you have to come back now?" I asked, not daring to look at him. He was silent. Oak's voice boomed over the crowd, and for a while we stayed that way.

"After you've settled in tonight, come to the clearing just outside the school. I'll explain everything." He mumbled, reaching out for my hand and squeezing it lightly. I barely had time to blush, let alone tell him to bugger off, before he slipped away and back through the crowd.

"…I need to call Burgh."

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note: Thank you for the lovely feedback, and I'm sorry this chapter is so late and a bit rushed~ please enjoy!<strong>


	4. Tensions

Nice Guys Finish Last  
>by: Comicker<p>

_Chapter Four: _Tensions

* * *

><p>"<em>What have I always told you?"<em>

Burgh. What a deviously interesting man. He always knew what to say. After the battle at N's castle, Adler recommended that I pursued a career as a gym leader since I turned him down for the position as champion. I wasn't terribly thrilled about it, but I wanted to do something with myself. I couldn't hang around hopelessly, that just wasn't who I was. Burgh helped me back on my feet though, I guess you could say he shoved me in the right direction. "I dunno, what have you always told me?" I smiled, staring up at the ceiling from my new bed. "Well, you've told me many things. Which one in particular should I be focusing on?"

"_Never forsake true friendships. You know you owe Touya-chan more than that." _He sighed and shifted the phone as I could hear him tapping away on his laptop through the receiver.

"And what's that supposed to mean? Touya was the one who freaked out, how am I disappointing him? By hearing what N has to say for himself?" I didn't want to admit it, but I had to agree with him on some level. Touya was obviously upset, and I had made no effort whatsoever to try and talk to him. He'd always been there for me through everything, even with N. My long pause was enough for Burgh as he chuckled. "_Do you realize now? You're not prioritizing, Touko. Touya is just as much surprised with this as you are. He and N were very close, remember."_ Right again. Damn, he was good. Grunting in frustration, I shifted down my bed and turned towards the window. Had I even once considered how Touya was feeling with all of this? _"Anyways, just keep cool alright? You're there to study, not to mess around and- hey! No, no! Bring that over here! …Aah, sorry Tou-chan, I'm just installing some new honey for the walls: this stuff is super sticky but so much neater!" _A warm nostalgic feeling flooded my senses as I smiled and leaned into my pillow. It was amazing how much time had passed. "_Anyways love, be safe. You know what you've got to do."_

"Alright, alright. Talk to you later. Thanks." I pulled the phone up away from my ear and clicked it shut, staring at the screen for a moment before letting it drop back down. Despite Burgh's best intentions, I still couldn't shake _him _out of my head. Even if he had been gone so long, it seemed like nothing changed. He was still the picture of elegance; his every move was as graceful as it had been so long ago. A soft sigh escaped my lips as I closed my eyes. That and his smile, that would never change. It would always be twinkling, so bright and full of life. And the way he spoke my name…

_Bzzzt. Bzzzt. _I forced my eyes open slowly, my right hand grabbing for my Xtransceiver. A picture of Touya that I took while camping last year flashed on the display while his name lit up on the bottom of the screen. I pursed my lips, contemplating for a moment what this would mean. He was calling me first. That wasn't like him at all. With a click of my tongue, I pressed the receive button and held the phone up to my ear.

"_Yeah, yeah! One sec, alright- cut the crap, Cheren!"_ He seemed rushed, but at least a little happier. _"H-Hey, Touko? You there? Sorry 'bout that, Cheren's giving me crap for letting Ari walk around the dorm. How are you?" _

"I'm alright, just relaxing after this rather hectic day." I paused, fighting with the right words. "…How's your dorm situation anyways? I, um, heard you were with-"

"_Mm. It's Cheren, a guy named Gold and N. It's not bad, Gold's a good guy. Although I could do without Cheren, you know him. Such a neat freak already, and we're barely one day in." _He didn't say a thing about N being there, and it was obvious that he meant to leave him out. But still, Touya had always been open about his feelings with me before, so why would he hide away now? _"…listen, we need to talk. Could you meet me down outside your dorm? I want to go walk around."_

Immediately, I looked over towards the time. I had some time yet until I had agreed to go and meet N to hear him out. Perhaps everything was going to be easily explained. Then again, a part of me rejected that idea, no matter how much I wanted it to be true. Unfortunately this time, Burgh was right. Touya deserved my full attention, because he was always there. There wasn't ever a time where he denied me, so I needed to give him that same respect. "Alright, give me ten minutes."

* * *

><p><em>Touko,<em>

_I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I won't get involved with you anymore. You __can just forget all about me and I'll protend nothing ever happened, I promise. _

_I can't do that._

_I can't do this._

"I can't even write a note." Huddled up in the corner of his new room, N searched desperately for the words he couldn't find. He had been gone two whole years, and yet it felt like he hadn't grown at all. Of course, deep down in his heart he knew; he knew that they had to somewhat understand his reasoning. It wasn't like he wanted to abandon his new friends, his only friends… but it was something he had to do. Was it selfish to live and do what you wanted to do? By travelling through other regions, he had been able to learn so much about Pokemon and the people who had come to love them. It gave him such a better understanding into the hearts of others. But now, it just felt like he was being punished.

_Not right now, N. Let's just go._

It wasn't exactly the loving embrace he'd been expecting. It wasn't what he expected from either of them, and still he understood why they felt the way they did. N's heart may have been a place once only for Pokemon, but those two - along with the others - managed to find a way to creepily worm themselves in. They were like his family. To think that he had caused them such heartache, such pain…

_You've failed me for the last time, son._

"I can't even think straight." He whined, pushing the paper and pen away to try and clear his head. He told Touko to meet him in the clearing outside after the ceremony, but he'd locked himself away the moment he had come back to the dormitory. All he had to do was muster up the courage and go speak with her, she of all people had to understand why he did what he did. _ Touya, on the other hand…_ The thought made him shiver a little. Now that was a greeting he hadn't been expecting. Imagine both of their surprise when they had found out they would be living together, no doubt. "Alright, I can do this." With sudden determination, he jolted up from his desk chair and marched over to grab his coat. He was partners with one of the legendary dragons that helped create the ground on which he stood and was proclaimed far and wide as a hero, why couldn't he just muster up the courage to tell his friends how he was feeling?

_I'll wait for you._

Her words resonated with him as he marched out the door.

That was why he returned, wasn't it? To see her?

Wasn't she the true hero?

* * *

><p>The fall colors were just coming into bloom around the Moor. The leaves in the surrounding forest had just started to change color, which painted a nice contrast against the white and grey stone buildings of the institution. It seemed like I wasn't the only one who noticed this beautiful tableau either. Groups of trainers were walking around and admiring the scenery with their Pokemon. It really was a beautiful place, Adler had chosen this quite well. Just as I became quite lost in my surroundings out in the courtyard, Touya came sprinting from down the path. "Oy! You weren't waiting long, were you?" He called out, slowing his run down and skidding to a stop in front of me. He was wearing a bright blue t-shirt and black khaki shorts, and obviously did not realize just how chilly it was outside. It only took one little gust of wind against his legs for his face to freeze up; there was nothing Touya hated more than the cold. I couldn't help but laugh as he danced around and started to whine about the cold. After his whining subsided, we finally began our walk. There was a small smile on Touya's lips as we made out way down the path, and I couldn't help but notice that he was being cheerfully optimistic for the conversation about to occur.<p>

"Well?" I asked, shoving my hands into my jean pockets and turning to him as we walked. "Pardon me for finally asking, but what was that all about this morning? Were you trying to be a hero or something?" I raised a brow. "No, you're the hero. He made that very clear himself." Touya laughed with a slight lean of bitterness, keeping his head down as he spoke. "To be honest, when he left I didn't know how to feel. Scared, a little. Moreso hurt than anything. He broke away when we wanted to fix him, to be apart of that healing… it felt like he didn't need us. And I was right, he doesn't. He can argue that all he'd like."

"You don't want to hear him out? Touya, that doesn't seem fair. Why don't you tell him what you're telling me?" It wasn't fair. He was making grand assumptions about N and knew little about the facts. Then again, neither did I. Still, it didn't seem like he even wanted to make an attempt to voice his feelings and concerns. "He wanted to speak with you, doesn't that mean something?" I slowed down, finally noticing that he had stopped a little behind me. With his now overgrown bangs covering his face, I couldn't quite make out the stressing expression on his face, but obviously something was amiss.

"What's wro-"

"What is he to you?" Snapping his head up to look ahead, his bright brown eyes were ablaze with some sort of foreign emotion that I had never seen from him before. It caught me quite off guard as I stood there, mouth agape and speechless for what felt like ages. What was N to me? How was I supposed to know that? "He's my friend." I replied slowly. "And?" He stomped his foot like an incredibly cross and impatient child. This ticked me off a little. With a twitch of my brow, I turned my full attention towards him and crossed my arms along my chest. "What do you mean, _and?_"

Touya burst. "He wanted to speak with _me?_ He came back here for **you! **He didn't come back to be with the rest of us, he came here to ruin everything we've accomplished! Everything that has happened here since he left! Can't you see how selfish he is with you!" He cried, throwing his arms to the side in some act of desperation on his part. His words weren't adding up, however, and he was only confusing me more.

"Whoa, hold on a sec. Ruin everything? What are you talking about?" I wasn't going to back down without a fight, but he was most definitely beating around the bush of his legitimate point. Touya had no idea what he was saying, he was being the selfish one this time. Not N. I held his gaze just as he held mine, and it seemed like our stubborn natures were colliding in more ways than one. Finally, Touya scoffed and turned away, the faintest of red staining his cheeks as he did so. "And if he confesses to you?" He mumbled quietly.

"Confesses what?" I blinked, calming down a little. "His reasons for being away? He already said he wanted to talk to us about that…" Touya laughed a little and scratched his head with a slight click of his tongue. "Hah… you know, never mind." He smiled softly then, turning to look back to me. I felt myself relax once again at the look on his face, "Looks like I don't have anything to worry about after all. Do you want to go get something to eat?"

* * *

><p>N had waited and waited for Touko, but she never showed. Disgruntled and obviously upset, N had wandered off and away from the school to explore the Moor and vent his frustrations. He had found his way to a small pond, where the cool evening breeze drifted over the surface and created small ripples in the water. N bent down slowly beside it, staring at his own reflection in the water with much haste. "Why did I even bother showing my face? I was much better without all of this!" Gripping onto the sides of his head, he continued to look into the water but found no answers. He would always have Pokemon, but what about humans? Would he really continue to live alone forever like this? The only family he had ever known had called him a traitor, a disgrace, and up and vanished with the wind. No longer having the allegiance of Team Plasma, they shortly disbanded after his 'fall from grace' and dispersed across Unova to return to their normal lives. They all had families; everybody but him. Time and time again, he tried to convince himself that he didn't need a family. Pokemon were the only things he needed in his life. However, travelling all the regions and discovering the world anew, N soon came to realize that one day he would want those familial connections. Despite putting forth his best effort to arrive in style, the people he had once been able to call 'friends' had harboured so much hatred in his absence. He wasn't exactly sure as to the definition of friends, but he was almost positive that had nothing to do with it. With a slight huff, N sat himself down and picked up a pebble to twirl between his fingers. Ever since he'd returned to Unova, the list of things he was beginning to dislike about humans continued to grow, even with his expanding outlook.<p>

1) Touya was enraged with his very being and now he had to live with him.

2) Touko refused to even hear him out.

3) His Pokemon were stressed because he was stressed.

4) He was about to start school for the very first time.

5) He had no friends.

The emerald-haired boy slowly felt his eyes begin to water, but he tried his best to push his absent-minded fears aside. Would the list continue to grow at such an expansive rate? The thought of it made his heart incredibly heavy. If this was going to be the case, why didn't he just leave?

"You cannot leave." A soft yet croaking voice spoke behind him, but N had felt the oddly familiar presence before it had spoken. He didn't even bother to turn around as he continued to stare out into the water. Two more shadowy figures then appeared behind him, and N finally forced himself to turn around and face them. Reaching up almost on instinct, N began to fiddle with his necklace and glance them each over individually. Nothing about these three had changed in the slightest, but it wasn't like he expected them to change. They weren't exactly human, after all. "So, you're still working for my father, huh?" N asked nonchalantly, upset that they had interrupted his musings. The three said nothing and simply stared at him, watching his every move and facial expression with a keen interest.

"We will forever be in Ghestis's debt. We are here to deliver a message to you, our fallen prince." N continued to look at the cube on his chain, picking at it lightly with his fingernails. "Ghestis is very weak. His time on this planet is quickly declining. The loss of his empire and his son has delivered a heavy blow." The young male couldn't help but stifle a laugh at their remark, unable to believe that given the circumstances of their last encounter that his father missed him at all. "Ghestis wishes that you reconsider your current position and, in his final days, help him reconstruct Team Plasma. You would also be required to destroy the orbs of the creation trio, which have been entrusted to the false prophet." N did find himself laughing now as he flopped down onto his back, staring up with glistening eyes at the sky.

"You've got to be kidding me, right? After everything, why would I return? I know now that all he wishes to do is for his own, selfish greed. I've changed. You must fail to see this, even though you are all _so_ wise." Closing his eyes, N revelled in the fact that they apparently had no answer for him. Typical. He opened his mouth to throw out another string of insults when he heard footsteps approaching. The triad did not disappear upon hearing the noise, and this intrigued him greatly. Opening an eye to look over at them from his current position, a man in a sleek brown suit and rounded hair emerged from behind them. "I think you will reconsider your options shortly enough." His voice was harsh but had such smoothness and delicacy that, despite the circumstances, N would have thought him to be a pleasant gentleman. However, N sensed the hostility lingering in the air and knew now that this was not a good man.

"My name is Giovanni, and if I'm correct, you are N. Well, N, we have so very much to discuss."

* * *

><p>AN: Late update is... oh so late. Happy new year everybody, will be updating on a weekly basis henceforth. Sorry for the delay! PS. I love all you smexylicious reviewers, you're the only reason I've continued on with this story. Inspiration can be found, even in the darkest of times!


	5. Dust to Dust

Chapter Five  
><strong>Dust to Dust<strong>  
>Part I<p>

* * *

><p>The night was dark, unusually dark for such a beautiful spring. As the stars glistened up above and in the distance, millions of miles away, their light only served to make the deepening darkness even more of a reality. The early morning was supposed to be bright and inviting. Refreshing, even. But today was shouldering sadness.<p>

He could feel it.

Leaning out of a window almost three stories high, Touya leaned his arm up along the edge of the frame. The air was cold against his face and bare chest, tingling his senses. He drew long, deep and concentrated breaths. With his free hand, he reached up to brush his choppy brown bangs off his forehead. Cheren was fast asleep, and Touya was almost certain nothing would be able to wake him after he'd now set himself so deeply into his school routine. Often, he thought he'd fair better in the army. But then again, this was sort of like boot camp. The boot camp of a lifetime.

Touya opened his eyes and stared out again into the darkness. There were lights on across the campus for safety purposes, but with the absence of life they felt hollow. He glanced over his shoulder to his bedside clock. 3:12 a.m. A soft grunt escaped his lips and he turned back into the night, his chest swelling and falling with each carefully thought out breath. It had been almost a full week since they'd arrived at UTI, but sleep had evaded him. Rest was not coming easy anymore.

_N._ _You idiot._

He supposed he couldn't blame him forever. Sure, he could carry on hating him and refuse to pick up where they'd left off...but that would make the next year very awkward. And what about after that? Would he simply never speak to him again? Even Touya was no fool. He and N had shared a friendship unlike anything he'd ever experienced. He was the untimely king, always full of surprises. And in all honesty, he liked playing protagonist to him. N had become a friend through the most unreasonable way possible. Thinking about those times and how far gone they were now made the darkness of the night deepen. It may have been sad at the time, but they still laughed—didn't they? They had still shared memories.

Did he want to continue hating him?

Letting go of the windowsill, Touya reached up and pressed a cool palm against his forehead. That wasn't the only problem about N being here. There was more, _so much more _to it...but he couldn't keep thinking about it like this. It was costing him sleep, concentration and time. Studying should have been his number one priority right now. Even Touko had seemed unbothered by it all, carrying on with making friends and going to class, even giving N small passive aggressive remarks when he tried to spark up a conversation. But during the brief moments he got to bare witness to them speaking, Touya knew she never meant it. He could see the ghost of N's absence sitting heavily on her shoulders. She would take time to readjust to his presence fully, but she would. He knew she would.

"And then what?" Touya's voice was breathless against the still night. "Will he take her away?"

* * *

><p>"There's going to be a <em>what?!<em>"

Touko almost choked on her bowl of cereal. Sitting at the table with her roommates, she looked up at Platinum with wide and unbelieving eyes. Despite Yellow's excited exclamation beside her, the silver-haired 'queen' as Touko had aptly nicknamed her looked somewhat disappointed. Saph gave Touko a swift slap on the back and grabbed the spoon from her hands, leaning back in the chair beside her.

"Are you serious?" Saph raised a quizzical brow, pursing her lips slightly. "Well, that sounds _sort of_ cool."

"There's going to be a f-formal dance? But why?" Touko finally sputtered out, clearing her jammed throat full of Lucky Charms. Her sweet tooth was insatiable. That or her inability to hold onto things she's eaten for years.

"I thought it was odd, too. But the more you think about it, the less odd it really is. I mean this is a new school which needs to welcome more funding, right?" Platinum placed a hand on her hip and swung back her long hair. "I'm sure a gala would be very inviting for people looking to invest here. Plus it's a nice way to welcome us properly."

"You've got a point, I guess." Touko nodded slowly and stood to her feet, scooping up her bowl in the process. "So it's to be this Saturday? That's a little short notice. I don't think I have anything nice enough to wear for that sort of thing."

"Don't worry, ladies. I'll make sure we're all set. I think we also get a little money for it too, so we can rest easy. That's not the hard part." Platinum sighed, running her hand along the top of the chair and meeting eyes with Yellow. "The hard part will be finding a _date._"

Touko froze in place, midway into the kitchen. What was this foreign word, a _date?_ Well, of course she knew what it was. But that wasn't the problem. No, far from it.

"I'll go with Red, for sure! Blue will probably want to team up with Green anyways, they're always talking hush-hush together." Yellow beamed between Platinum and Saph, a slight blush rising to her cheeks. "Besides, it's not a real date! It doesn't really matter, does it?"

"I think it matters a great deal. I'll be picking out prospects today. We've only got two days, after all..." Platinum paused, glancing over at the ever-bored looking Saph as she stared up at the ceiling. "What about you, Sapphire?"

"I've got someone." She mumbled. "But he's not here yet."

"Ah, I see." The silver-haired queen gave a quick nod. "It wouldn't be fair to select someone else then, you're very admirable. I can't believe you haven't said anything about this before, though."

"You never asked."

"H-Hey, guys? This isn't like an actual _date _is it!? Please tell me it isn't! I don't think I can ask Red if it is!"

"Of course you can, Yellow. You're dear friends and I'm sure it would be just fine." Her attention slowly diverted to Touko's hurried figure in the kitchen. With a smirk, she raised a brow and placed her hand gingerly down on the table. They sat in silence for a moment or two, the only sound coming from the running water as Touko washed up her dish. Maybe there was a way for her to opt out of this whole dance thing. If she got Sammy to accidentally step on her toes and consequently break one of them in the process, she could just stay in bed. That or she could go find someone with a cold, stand in his or her line of fire and just wait for a sneeze.

"What about you, Touko?"

As the brunette stopped the running water, she hung over the sink for a brief moment before turning to see all three ladies looking over at her. She couldn't help but think Platinum looked somewhat akin to a Cheshire cat, if only she had a tail. "I don't have anyone special...and nobody in mind—"

"Reeeallly? What about that brown haired boy you're always chatting with?" It was if she'd been waiting to ask the question since the moment they met. And she wouldn't blame her, considering the show they'd put on. She even carefully avoided his name. Touko's brow would have twitched in irritation if it weren't for the shock of the whole dance to begin with. "He's my best friend. We grew up together. I don't think it would be right to ask him to...to be a date at a _dance_, not a date like that anyways..."

"But I'm going to ask Red, Tou-chan! If you don't like anyone, you should ask him! His name is...Touba, right?"

"It's Touya, dummie." Saph piped up, flicking the side of Yellow's cheek. "How many times has he and Cheren been around since we moved in?"

"Yes, unless there is _someone_ else." Platinum purred, resting her elbows on the table and lacing her fingers together. "Perhaps a certain, green haired one—"

Touko froze up, shaking her head no so quickly that she thought she might give herself a headache. No, a seizure. "No idea what you're talking about, I'm not interested in anyone! Oh my _god_ w-would you look at the time?! We're going to be late for class if we don't hurry up! Let's go!" Touko diverted the conversation far away from Platinum's intended direction and rushed to the entryway to grab her things. A sour but pleased look came upon her face that Touko didn't catch, though, and the once-queen, now silver-Cheshire turned to the other two girls with a wicked grin.

"Bingo."

* * *

><p>News of the formal gala spread like wildfire. Within the first hour of classes, everyone seemed to know. The fact alone seemed to shift the atmosphere. Everyone was either speaking in hushed whispers or they were frantically excited. Talk of dresses, appetizers, entertainment and music were whizzing around...along with the prospect of inviting someone. It wasn't mandatory, and Touko learned that much to her relief later on. Even if she asked Touya or Cheren, it was sure to be awkward. But why did she even think that to begin with? It might be nice to go with someone, but they'd all probably go together anyways. The four of them. Much like they arrived, the group was somewhat insepertable. It was this thought that kept the talk of dates and dancing at bay in her mind, at least for now. She was more than happy to share in their excitement.<p>

During her first lecture on Pokemon Anatomy 101, Touya was finally left alone. She was the only one of her friends entering this field, and the course requirement was not too exciting for the others. Besides, she didn't mind a little alone time. It would give her time to her thoughts, and her studies. As she picked a row of desks unoccupied in the middle of the room, she sat next to the aisle to at least ensure she only had to sit beside one person. She wasn't anti-social, but something—despite her mind's reassurance—about this whole dance was a little off putting. She needed time to try and not think too much, and meeting new people was always somewhat of an effort on her part.

"Hey, Touko." The voice came from her right, and she turned to see a friendly and familiar face. "Is this seat taken?"

"Red! Oh, of course not. Here." She gestured an open hand towards it, and he quickly shuffled in. "I didn't know you were in this stream."

"Yeah, I'm in all the pre-requisites...but I've been sitting at the back of the class and coming in at the last minute. Some of the shared ones are with Yellow and Green, and they never stop talking." He stifled a laugh and rested his books down on the desktop. Touko offered a friendly nod in understanding and looked up to the front of the class, as the Professor was preparing to deliver the beginning of the lecture. The silence between them was not unsettling, and she was glad for it. Red seemed like a nice enough boy, and Yellow always spoke highly of him. That and being the Champion of Kanto...one of the more difficult challenges she was going to face in time would be facing him head on. But for now, it was nice to have someone to sit with after all.

"Have you heard about all this dance talk?" Red finally spoke up, twirling a pencil with a Pokeball eraser. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, stifling a small smirk and a shake of her head.

"It's all a little silly...everyone is talking about dates and dancing, but I guess it's kind of exciting for them." There was a foreign bitterness in her voice that she couldn't quite place. Red picked up on it, but played along as if he hadn't. The class still murmured around them, and they delved again into silence.

"These sorts of things have a way of bringing out the best, and worst of us." He finally said, tapping his pencil once against the wood. "But I think it gives us an excuse to mend our hearts...if only a little."

"Well said," Touko smiled, finally looking over at him in full to see his dark brown eyes were dead set on her already. She couldn't quite read his expression, but it was one of knowledge and understanding. That she was sure of. He was hardened with experience and she couldn't grasp how someone so young could have an expression, which matched someone who had seen decades unfold before them.

"If you're hurting, you'll never be able to become the best. You need some light in your life. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust."

She had no answer to that.

* * *

><p>The next few days flew by far quicker than the start of the week had. Everywhere, people were rushing around and preparing. All of the teaching staff even had their focus diverted on the last day. Platinum's assumption had been right, the gala was to host several notable figures from across the regions. All of the students had been told to be on their best behaviour, if only for an evening. Adler had told them all it was very important they began to practice their unity, achieved only through the painstaking task of putting up with intolerable conversations for an evening. Cheren got a kick out of that one, at least. But he was right in a way, the students were not just students...but some of the greatest trainers of all time. They needed to be on Adler's side. The thought alone made Touko feel very selfish about her behaviour, and about worrying so much about her own problems.<p>

As she stared deeply into her mirror, night crept up from behind in her bedroom window. They were to meet in the Grand Hall at seven o'clock, a brief speech would be made, and then they were set free to mingle and enjoy the evening. It all sounded very reasonable. If she was lucky, she'd be able to get in bed for eleven and put all of this behind her. But again, that was being very selfish.

The dress Platinum had let her borrow needed only a few adjustments, considering they were similar in both height and weight. The others needed to find other things to wear, but she felt lucky she didn't have to go dress shopping. Raising an unsteady hand, she ran her hand down the length of the red sequined dress. It was flowing; tight at the top but it came down nicely at the bottom. It almost resembled a rose, the way the seams opened up and danced around her legs. Accompanied with a pair of white heels and a matching orchid hairpin, she took a moment to admire herself instead of thinking so negatively.

She had grown so much.

_Two years,_ Touko thought. _I'm such a different person from when I was then. _She raised her hand to touch the falling curls around her collarbone. Two years ago she never would have pictured this. And it all seemed so very sad for some reason. Fighting the tears that threatened to well in her eyes, she closed her eyes and thought of N. For now, he'd stopped pursuing her around the campus. In fact, she hadn't seen him since news of the dance came around. Although she had told him to stop bothering her, he continued to persist—popping up all over school and when she least expected it. _I never did meet him in the courtyard, but he hasn't said a thing. _Maybe he was giving her time. But why should she even consider taking time, hadn't she already given him his answer?

"Touko, we're here!" Bianca's voice rang out from the other room and brought her back to reality. Quickly snatching up her small clutch, she moved through her room and towards the door.

_'Come with me.'_

She stopped, her hand resting on the knob. A rising feeling of dread filled her up, and Red's words echoed in her mind. Of course she would attend the dance with her friends as a group, but...

_Why did he never ask me to go?_

* * *

><p>Touko and Bianca arrived outside the main entrance just before the rest of the massive crowd. They spotted Cheren and Touya, whom Touko hadn't seen much of either since the announcement. As they approached, the two turned to face them. Cheren was in a sporting and rather overformal dress suit, while Touya opted for the classic dress shirt and tie. His face seemed to wash away as they approached, and he quickly glanced away at the approaching crowd.<p>

"Wow, you two look amazing." Cheren beamed, running a hand over the surface of his suit and giving them a sincere smile.

"Do you really think so? Because I wasn't sure if I liked this color." Bianca sighed, twirling around a little in her bright dandelion colored dress. "If you say so though, I have no idea what I was worried about!" She smiled, nudging Touko a little. "Don't you think red suits Touko?"

"I don't think I've ever seen you in anything more...girly." Cheren stated aptly.

"Well, thank you for the reassurance." Touko mumbled, slightly embarrassed by the whole thing.

"Touya, don't you think she looks beautiful?" Bianca asked, leaning over a bit to try and catch his absent gaze. Touya heard her and twitched, just a little, before turning back towards them. The group fell silent as Touya's eyes remained fixed on her, a stray brown lock falling loosely out of his smoothed back hair. Touko blinked at his intense gaze, broken only by the sound of people talking joyfully behind them.

_She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my entire life... I..._

"...Yes, she does." He finally said, giving her the briefest of smiles and sliding his hands into his pockets. "I have to agree with Cheren though. I've never seen you so girly."

"Oh, shut it." Touko grumbled, glad to see he wasn't spacing out too drastically. She wasn't being fair to either of them, it was clear N's reappearance was not only affecting her. She would have to start to plan a resolution, for all of them. It was obvious that he wasn't leaving, and they couldn't go on with this much longer. Not without risking everything, including their own friendships. It was time to take Red's cryptic advice into action and leave the past in the past. Well, dust to dust. "Well, shall we go in? Bianca and I will go first, naturally."

"Right after you." Cheren gestured, letting the two of them through and towards the massive entranceway. He stayed paused like that for a moment before readjusting himself, and brought a hand up to touch his glasses. He and Touya stood in silence for a brief moment, and as Cheren's gaze turned towards his friend, his eyes grew wide in disbelief.

"Touya, are you alright?!"

Touya raised a hand to his face, his fingers reflexing at the sudden rush of heat against the tips. "W-What?"

"You're as red as Touko's dress! Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

His shoulders trembling, the blushing beat-red brunette shook his head angrily—as if offended by the statement—and turned quickly away from Cheren. "I'm fine. L-let's just go, okay?"

"...If you say so."


	6. Dust to Dust II

Chapter Five  
><strong>Dust to Dust<strong>  
>Part II<p>

_Only you can set my heart on fire._

* * *

><p>The Great Hall was absolutely breathtaking.<p>

As Touko stepped through the threshold with Bianca, the sight of it all almost overwhelmed her. What was once a dining and studying galleria had now been converted into a modern ballroom. A gigantic chandelier hung from the center ceiling beam, cascading down by a silver chain. The hall itself was glistening with all sorts of twinkling lights, hanging from symmetrically set posts. Elegantly decorated round tables littered each side of the room, and already a number of guests were seated. Men in tailcoats walked around with silver platters, offering all types of delicacies and fine champagnes. Touko would have wobbled over in awe if it weren't for her steady companion.

"This place is...so _beautiful! Ohmygod, _don't you think so?!" Bianca's awe was echoed, but Touko couldn't quite find the words to affirm them. Realizing their standing in the way may have impeded some other guests, the two of them shuffled off to an open spot on the edge of the massive dance floor. While Touko continued to admire the room and began scanning the faces, Bianca struggled to see Touya and Cheren in the entrance. Once she caught sight of them, she waved an arm to catch their attention. Cheren was extremely impressed, and felt the need to tell both Bianca and Touko immediately that he had helped arrange the budget. But Touko's attention was diverted by the quickly filling hall, and found herself unable to actually listen to Cheren's explanations. Bianca was far too friendly for her own good, though, and continued to listen.

As she turned around and took a few steps closer to the center of the room, she caught the eye of a man sitting at one of the nearer tables. Something about the look in his eyes stopped her dead, and she locked eyes with him. He was a sharply dressed man, in a three-piece brown suit with a tanned complexion. And he was old too, by the looks of the wrinkles around his jawline. _Or maybe he just frowns a lot, _she thought. Beside him, she saw the head of a Persian poke out from underneath the table.

"Are you alright?" Touya's sudden appearance almost made her jump out of her own skin. She immediately broke eye contact with the strange man and turned to Touya. He was watching her with concerned but somewhat distant eyes. She searched his face to see what he was looking for, but could find no answer.

"Yeah, I just thought..." Looking back briefly over her shoulder, she saw the man had risen from his seat to mingle with the crowd. "Nevermind, it's silly." She smiled, turning back to him.

Touya paused heavily, leaving a heavy silence to sit between them. It wasn't the refreshing, almost friendly silence she had shared with Red the other day. This was different. She swallowed lightly and watched his gaze drift farther away from her, despite looking directly at him.

"Are you looking for someone?" He asked her so softly; he might as well have whispered it.

"What? No. Although I was expecting to see some more familiar faces by now." She said, giving the room another once over. "Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing."

Touko twitched, tired and annoyed—_**no,**_ annoyed and _**tired**_of this tennis match game they'd been playing. Every time she tried to get to the bottom of his point, he always deflected her shot. There was no winning with him, not anymore. It was if the Touya she'd known her entire life had changed in just one week. Was that all it took for someone to become so different? Touko clenched her jaw down tightly and quickly grabbed his hand in her own. "Now, you listen to me, Touya. And you better listen pretty damn good." The veil of distance in his eyes suddenly washed away, and clarity (with a little jolt of his heart) overcame him. He could feel her electric energy through a simple touch. He also could have sworn his hand would burn to ashes in her own, if she held it long enough.

Which he sort of hoped she would.

"I'm listening."

"I miss _you,_ this has got to stop. Do you think just because we've had a bit of a shock, that things always have to be this way? I know you're hurting because I am too. But if we let this eat away at us, how are we ever going to survive it?" The resolve in her expression was enough to convince him, let alone the truth to her words. They echoed everything he'd been struggling with, every thought he should have shared with her—and with the others. As Touya said nothing, Touko clenched his hand just a little bit tighter. "Don't you think so?"

He cast his gaze down to the floor. "You're right. I've been thinking the same thing, to be honest."

"Then why didn't you _talk _to me?"

"I could say the same thing to you." He mumbled, raising his gaze just a little to meet her eyes. "We're both guilty of the same old thing." Holding her hand just a little tighter, and a little tighter still, he finally found the courage to slip his fingers in between her own. Her hand twitched slightly but she didn't pull away.

"The truth is, Touko...there's something I have to tell you."

* * *

><p>N stood in the main entrance, smiling and laughing along with the boy known as Red. <em>I've always thought that was a strange name. But who am I to talk?<em> It was surprising to him how much the past week had changed him. At the beginning, the concept of finding friends was almost hopeless. And despite his tireless resolve to patch things up with Touko and Touya, they still didn't want to try. Maybe with a little more time, he could bring them around. Then the three of them could finally be happy together, as they should have been. _Yes, tonight. I'll speak to them both. I'll say what's in my heart. _

"You look pretty fancy, N. Where did you get a suit like that?" The emerald-haired boy blinked once, glancing down to his attire with a confused expression. His father gave it to him a long time ago, of course...but how would he explain it without sounding like he'd once been heir to a wealthy and terribly evil man? These sorts of thoughts troubled him the most about people. Although he'd met many people, social skills was still not his strongest feature. The suit itself was a three-piece, with bright cream underneath and an ebony suit jacket. Maybe it was a little formal, or fancy as Red had called it, but it was all he had. _Damn, I'm thinking too much again. He's looking at me and I'm not answering the question! Think! _

"O-oh, just a present from a family member some time ago." N grinned cheekily, scratching the back of his unusually tame hair. It wasn't flat or straight along his back, but he'd smoothed out the trouble parts with gel. Cheren had helped him pick one out. Even after living with Touko, he was still unable to reach him. But if he could get through to Cheren, even Bianca, what was stopping him now?

_Tonight. I'll talk to them tonight. _

"C'mon, let's go in before we get in the way. It looks like we're not the last of them coming through." Red smiled, slipping in front of N and forming a polite path through the crowd of people. N followed steadily behind, marveling at the grand room and all the effort Adler had put into the show. It really was amazing. If he wasn't here with a, dare he say _friend,_ he would spend more time admiring the beautiful work he'd done. But Red was moving into the main foyer near the dance floor, and he didn't want to lose him. As they broke loose of the crowd and looked up to the stage at the end of the hall, Adler was stepping up to a large bronze podium. It looked as if he was ready to address everyone.

With a content sigh, N scanned the room. Everyone looked so elegant, so happy...he was sure this would be a night to remember. As long as he could get their forgiveness, he wouldn't care about anything else. Not about father, or the trio, or even Giovanni's proposition—

And then he saw it.

* * *

><p>"W-What is it?" Touko blinked quickly, hesitant to return the way he'd wrapped his fingers around her hand, or the way he inched closer towards her. His lips parted once or twice, words hanging on the balance of nerve and courage. The hammering of his chest was impossible to ignore, the <em>ratta tatta <em>of his heart beating so fast it may burst. But he couldn't help it. She was intoxicating, and he'd thought it for so long now. And maybe he was selfish for wanting her in this way, but after two years of being surrounded by her in every possible way—he knew it now more than ever.

"I..."

* * *

><p>The reality of the sight before him was like slamming into a brick wall, not just once but a thousand times over. He didn't know why it made him clench his fists into balls at his side, nor did he understand why it made him so utterly <em>terrified. <em>Touya and Touko holding hands may have been a very normal thing. In any other circumstance, he would have thought nothing of it. Friends cared and loved for each other. He'd come to learn that about friendship. But this was something different. The fear immediately switched to rage, an unexplainable anger swelling his chest up to the size of a balloon.

It was the inescapable reality of the sight before him, knowing but not knowing the meaning of the look in Touya's eyes.

_Did he...love her?_

"I would like to take a moment and say," Adler's booming voice broke through the hum of the crowd—and he quickly adjusted the microphone at his podium. "Thank you all so very much for coming."

The sudden jolt of his voice brought all three of them back down to Earth, and Touko took the immediate opportunity to snatch her hand back from Touya and look up to the stage. He stared blankly at the ground, his hand still falling beside him, before he pulled himself together and turned to look with her.

"As you all know, we're gathered here today to invite our friends in the Pokemon community to meet you wonderful trainers..."

* * *

><p>It was all white noise. Everything was white, just like Reshiram. But this time, there were no feathers and no silver lining. No promise of hope or salvation. No, this time, he felt as if he'd fallen. N cast his gaze down to the floor and bit heavily upon his bottom lip, trying to control the shaking of his clenched palms. <em>Is this why he...no, I don't even know if it's true. I can't jump to conclusions. And even if he did, then how does that affect me?<em>

N looked up at Touko's back, eyeing the perfect contours of her shoulders and the magnificence her form took in comparison to this beautiful ball. He held it steady, letting her presence subside this foreign and unexplainable desire to rush up to Touya and yank him away from her. She was safe, and here, there was nothing more he could possibly want. The true hero was out of harms way, and he wanted her to stay that way. There was nothing more to it than that.

_Nothing more I could want._

* * *

><p>After Adler's speech, addressing both the honoured guests and valued students, the hall was bustling with life. A light orchestra played along to the throng of people atop the stage, providing a nice ambience to the evening. The lights had been dimmed slightly, the orange glow illuminating the vast hall with noise and clarity.<p>

As she watched people coupling up to swing along with the music, Touko took in a shaky breath and raised a finger to her chin. Her mind was still racing, and she couldn't bear to be around the group after what she thought had _almost _happened. Touya had been so distant with his feelings, and maybe the talk of N had brought up something inside of him. She couldn't think anything more of it. If she did, how would she be able to carry on? If he had something important to say, he would have said it. She was reading too much into the situation. Of course, she had never seen him with that look in his eyes...but that was beside the point. Maybe she could ask him more about it when they had time later on. But for now, it seemed almost impossible to face him, and she wasn't sure why.

_'I...'_

She felt herself blush, if only a little, at the feeling of his hand in hers. They had been close, but never that close. It was almost a little unbearable. Even the look in his eyes was telling a story she wasn't sure if she wanted to know. Leaning up against the wall, Touko closed her eyes and prayed silently that his agreement meant they could resolve things with—

"Is everything alright?"

Somehow, N had appeared beside her without her even noticing. Touko shook her head in agreement and maybe a little in disagreement too. But he had some sort of impeccable timing. She pulled her hand away from her face and turned half towards him, trying desperately hard to avoid his gaze. Maybe he could see her true thoughts in her eyes.

_Like you saw Touya's._

"Yes, thank you. Just a little tired." Smiling softly, she finally brought her head up to fully look him over. The blush crept across her face before she even realized, and there was no stopping it's spread. He looked... so handsome. For that brief moment, meeting his stunning eyes in the warm glow of the ballroom, he was nothing but an entity—a being she'd always dreamed of seeing but never laid eyes upon. She watched him swallow down hard under her intense gaze, and he almost turned away and ran for the other end of the room, were he not set upon her equally radiant figure.

_Of all the silences I've experienced, this is the best. _

"A-Ah, well...that's good." N finally sputtered, reaching down to casually slip his hand into his suit pocket. "I'm glad to hear it. You're...you're actually talking to me."

"Of course I am." Touko was tired of feeling this way, and was determined to not let it determine the course of her year. If she could be the mending bridge between them, then she would do it gladly. "Listen, I'm sorry I didn't come to the courtyard that time. I wasn't sure of...well, I wasn't sure of anything. But I want to fix this now, N. I do."

"You don't have to apologize to me." N smiled sadly, meeting her gaze once more. "I'm the sorry one. For everything. I wasn't trying to be selfish, leaving you...o-or, any of you for that matter," he paused, swallowing down hard. "I just didn't deserve to stay. Not after everything that happened. I was a fool, a damn fool...but I don't regret everything I've seen. I just didn't think I could stay."

"Didn't you realize we wanted you to stay?" Her heart had been screaming the words from the moment he decided to leave. But she told herself to be steady and control her emotions, especially now. So, instead of screaming, she offered him the brightest smile she could muster—despite her eyes filling with tears. Reconciliation, at last. "That I wanted you to stay? I missed you so much, N."

His eyes widened, shocked and blown away by not only the gravity of the words themselves...but the weight her expression carried, as if her heart was sitting right in front of him. N tried his best to not cry, he honestly and truly did, but the tears came without any consideration of whether or not he wanted them to. Unable to control himself, he flung himself at her—wrapping his arms around her petite shoulders and holding her as close as he possibly could. Touko would have melted into his embrace and stayed there for the rest of her life, given the immense joy in every fibre of her being.

"I missed you too Touko. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"I'm sorry too, N."

* * *

><p>From across the gala, Touya stood watching the scene before him. As the two entered a rushed embrace, the both of them sobbing together, he lowered the glass from his lips and gently placed it down on the nearest table. His bangs shadowed his visage, and he quickly turned his back on both Bianca and Cheren. His footfalls seemed to echo throughout the hall, but only to himself. He could hear Bianca calling him, but even that seemed to fade into the distance.<p>

The night was dark, unusually dark for such a beautiful spring. As he entered it, enveloping his figure into the deepness of the night, Touya stood still for only a moment. He couldn't leave his hatred behind after all. It was as real as the day he saw N's face again for the first time in two years. It was real and burning now. But he would have to set it aside. N would surely come to him after reconciling with her.

But the sight of them holding each other set his teeth on edge.

_Touko._

"And now what?" He breathed, his voice breathless against the still night. "Will you take her away from me?"


End file.
